


See Right Through Me

by Inu_Sama



Series: Avatar: The Last Airbender [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Do-Over, F/M, M/M, Slow To Update, Third Chances
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-03
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-11-08 10:33:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17979668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inu_Sama/pseuds/Inu_Sama
Summary: There was only one duty ‘bestowed’ upon an Avatar; protect and harmonize the Nations.It was being unexpectedly shackled to that kind of heavy responsibility that had him fleeing in the dead of night all those years ago.





	See Right Through Me

**Aang**

He was alive, cold, but alive. He dragged in a much-needed breath and opened his eyes. Everything was white, the sun shone high in the sky and bounced off the chilly tundra he’d somehow found himself in and it _hurt_.

Happily, his mind supplied him with the memories of his last night even as the Spirits whispered in his ear.

He sucked in a breath, forcing it out through gritted teeth in a cloud of white fog. He could remember the feel of heat against his back and the icy realisation that they were going to lose.

He remembered the feeling of metal slashing through flesh and the wet, choking feeling of a pierced lung. They'd brought him back.

Even though he'd _failed,_ they brought him back to the living. Was it punishment? To have to deal with the fact he'd lost the rebellion? To see all those betrayed and hate-filled gazes of those that once stood beside him?

But the Spirits weren’t done, and before he could gather his wits, they were pushing more information through their connection and he wanted to wretch at the horrible images flashing across his eyes.

Whole Nations slaughtered and their Bending suppressed, families torn apart and put into slavery, generations of knowledge destroyed.

 _‘The Avatar war’_ they were calling it, many more years of pain and suffering he could have prevented, had tried to stop from happening again. But he'd failed.

He'd been _weak_ \--was _weak!_ _Is_ weak. The Fire Nation got what they wanted and it was _his_ fault. It was so horrible, the guilt of it all threatened to overwhelm him.

The Elders would be writhing in their graves, if they knew - if they had lived long enough to see what he had caused because of his naivety, _twice_.

Gyatso must be so disappointed in him, in his _cowardice,_ his _weakness_. The Spirits quieted then, having delivered their message, and returned to the Other Side.

It took a few minutes to center himself, using the meditation his mentor had taught him when he was little and just learning to Bend.

And when he did, Aang could feel himself relax slightly, his mind clearing and emotions settling. By all means, he was still rattled, but at least now he could concentrate.

Freaking out wouldn’t accomplish anything and at the moment he needed to find out where he was and what happened after his death.

Despite his body protesting, Aang sat up, blinking the bright spots from his vision as his eyes got used to the glare. It was then he noticed he wasn’t alone.

Two teens; a boy and a girl, were watching him warily. They were both obviously siblings, the same brown hair and crystaline blue eyes and high cheekbones. His mind stuttered to a halt.

They looked so familiar, like he _knew_ them--had known them for a _long time_. But he just couldn't grasp it, his memories were all jumbled from the mind-scramble the Spirits gave him in retribution for fucking up so badly.

They wore thick blue overcoats, fur lining the insides. It looked incredibly warm and he shivered minutely as he was reminded of the snowy tundra he was in and the fact he was only wearing his Monk robes.

Wait, Monk Robes? The reason tickled at the back of his mind but he firmly pushed it away to instead focus on the children before him.

They looked to be waiting for something, for him to attack them, probably.

He couldn’t blame them, he was a stranger, a label that was always dangerous. Though it _was_ kind of strange they didn't at least know _of_ him. He was publicly known as the Avatar all over the world.

His likeness was _everywhere_ , on fliers, on posters and people even made little figurines of him! Maybe because they were in a remote little Tribe?

Judging from the absolutely _empty_ landscape, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch. Had he been brought here to heal after the final battle? To hide from the Fire Nation?

Aang remained still and silent, leaving them to make the first move. Looking at them and the markings on their clothes, Aang extrapolated that he was in the Southern Water Tribe’s territory - ‘ _what was left of it’_ , he reminded himself grimly.

Right, so he knew where he was, all that was left was _why?_ Why here?

He wasn’t naive enough to think that a couple of kids from an almost decimated Water Tribe had anything to do with his sudden relocation.

Aang eyed the discarded metal club to his right, not noticing the male stiffen in alarm when his attention fell on the weapon between them.

 _‘Especially not with such low grade equipment like that’_ He thought, they didn't look like almighty warriors capable of crossing the world to drag him here and they didn't have anything with them to suggest so either.

Was he right and this was just devine punishment from the Spirits? But why dump him in the middle of nowhere? Why not toss him into the center of the suffering so he could see, with every turn, the consequences of his foolishness?

‘ _For what purpose?’_ He knew what they wanted _him_ for, sort of; he was the _Avatar_ for fuck’s sake! There was only one duty ‘bestowed’ upon an Avatar; protect and harmonize the Nations.

It was being unexpectedly shackled to that kind of heavy responsibility that had him fleeing in the dead of night all those years ago. But when he finally had the chance to do what his destiny demanded, he failed.

He was pulled out of his head when a throat cleared awkwardly and Aang’s passive gaze slid over to the girl, her cheeks heating at the attention.

He had no idea what he looked like, but he no longer felt like that bright little boy he’d been before the Elders had tested him, told him that he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

At twelve, that had been an overwhelming burden that would have surely broken him if he hadn’t left. Or, at least that’s what it felt like at the time.

Looking back now, it just seemed like a selfish waste that did no one (not even himself) any favours. Especially when he was given a second chance and he'd blown it.

When Aang refocussed back on her, the girl started to relax some. She seemed to be the more brave ( _Naive_ ) of the two as she pulled out of her brother’s arms to crawl closer to him, a hesitant smile on her pretty face. He could've sworn he'd seen it somewhere before.

“Um, h-hello.” She stuttered, looking entirely embarrassed with the weight of Aang’s gaze on her.

“Hello.” He returned, somewhat surprised he hadn't been attacked yet. But then something registered and he blinked. His voice sounded way younger than it should have been.

Sure he was only in his twenties when he died, but it was definitely deeper than that. He looked down at his hands and his nostrils flared at how small and delicate they were. What the hell was going on?! Before he could work himself up again, Aang sighed.

He filed that away for later exploration when he saw the other boy tense, gloved hands gripping his fishing spear as he noticed his sister getting even closer to Aang.

“ _Katara!_ ” The boy warned, earning a venomous glare before she turned back to Aang. That was when it clicked, and his whole world slotted into place.

 _'Oh.'_ He thought, stunned. He stared up into the face he'd seen almost everyday for the past fifteen years and wanted to cry. The Spirits hadn't just brought him back to life, they'd brought him _back in time!_

She was close enough now that she could hold out her hand in greeting. Aang glanced at the brother ( _Sokka!_ ), then down to the hand and back up to Katara’s smiling face.

“I’m Katara, nice to meet you.” Aang let out a shaky breath, right, of course she didn't know him. That meant he was alone in this, because Katara would have been the first person he would have picked to come back with him.

The Spirits were angry with him, there was no denying that. He'd fucked up, like, on a massive world-wide scale not once, but twice now. His eyes widened and he paled with the realisation; this was his _last chance_. They would not give him another one, of that Aang was sure.

So, he had a decision to make--though his path was already set out before him, he could still change some key things…no, he could change _everything_. He was back at the start, after all. The start of something bigger than himself.

After a moment, Aang dipped his head, feeling soft brown locks touch his forehead as he once again looked down at the gloved hand still held aloft in front of him. He took it, reveling in the warmth spreading over his icy fingers.

“Aang. I would say the same if it weren’t for the fact I am currently freezing to death.” He prompted casually, a crooked upturn to his lips when her eyes widened.

He wasn’t afraid of death, never had been and it’d driven Gyatso fucking _nuts_ when he was younger. Hell, it'd driven _Katara_ nuts. But that didn’t mean he _wanted_ to die, especially not after being given this chance. His _third_ chance. He had to make it count.

But first things first, he needed to get warm before something fell off. The numbness seeping into his bones was bordering on painful and it was starting to worry him.

“Oh!” She smacked her forehead comically and reached behind her for the roll of fur strapped to her back, cheeks burning so hot Aang was convinced he could feel it from where he was still sitting in the snow.

“I’m so sorry, I completely forgot! Of course you would be! You just came out of a giant ball of ice after all!” He groaned in relief when the thick blanket was wrapped around his considerably thinner shoulders.

“ _Thank you,_ ” He whispered on the next exhale, eyes closing. He hadn’t realised just how cold he was until then and snuggled deeper into the warmth surrounding him.

“Yeah, about that. What the fuck were you doing in there anyway?” The boy demanded, hackles raised at the way Katara was acting. Aang’s eyes reluctantly opened and narrowed at the annoying boy. Couldn’t he see that he just wanted to rest? Shake off the numbness in his limbs?

“Sokka! Don’t be so rude! Can’t you see he’s tired? We need to get him back to the village so he can rest!” Katara scolded, smacking her brother’s shoulder.

The familiar action made Aang smile a little before the mind-fuck the Spirits gave him caught up to the exhaustion his body was feeling and his vision started to black out at the edges.

"Oh no!" Aang could hear Katara's voice, but it was distant as he was reluctantly pulled into the numb folds of darkness.


End file.
